Narrative:

After pushback from gate, cleared to taxi to runway 25R by 'taxiway B, left at taxiway C4, right onto taxiway C, and hold at C-1.' approaching taxiway C4 observed that the intersection and service road on both sides of taxiway C4 were clear. Area was still clear after 90 degree left turn onto taxiway C4. Observed service vehicle stopped well clear of taxiway C4. I visually cleared the area to the right onto taxiway C then looked back to my left to about the 8:30 O'clock position, at which point the wing obscures the ground and observed the truck that had been stopped move forward. I called out this to the crew and assumed that the truck had accelerated to go behind the aircraft. Within about 1 min, received a call from cabin that a passenger had observed a truck that appeared to strike the 'left' engine. Immediately stopped aircraft. Advised ground and requested a vehicle to observe if any damage was evident on engine #1. Advised that damage was visible. Shut down engine and called maintenance. Maintenance examined engine and we taxied back to terminal and were towed into gate. Incident probably caused by inexperience of ground vehicle driver. He did not realize that in a 90 degree turn a B747-400 goes 20 ft past the centerline before beginning the turn. I was advised that driver assumed aircraft was continuing east on taxiway B. He pulled forward, stalled engine, restarted and put in forward instead of reverse and then struck engine. Engine cowling badly damaged. Service van extensively damaged (probably totaled). No injuries. Supplemental information from acn 487596: no abnormal indications were observed in the cockpit. (EICAS indications.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CANCELED AND EXTENSIVE ENG DAMAGE WHEN AN AIRLINE SVC VEHICLE RUNS INTO A TAXIING B747-400 AS THE ACFT TURNS L ONTO TXWY C4. DRIVER ASSUMED ACFT WAS NOT GOING TO TURN AT TXWY C4 AT LAX, CA.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK FROM GATE, CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 25R BY 'TXWY B, L AT TXWY C4, R ONTO TXWY C, AND HOLD AT C-1.' APCHING TXWY C4 OBSERVED THAT THE INTXN AND SVC ROAD ON BOTH SIDES OF TXWY C4 WERE CLR. AREA WAS STILL CLR AFTER 90 DEG L TURN ONTO TXWY C4. OBSERVED SVC VEHICLE STOPPED WELL CLR OF TXWY C4. I VISUALLY CLRED THE AREA TO THE R ONTO TXWY C THEN LOOKED BACK TO MY L TO ABOUT THE 8:30 O'CLOCK POS, AT WHICH POINT THE WING OBSCURES THE GND AND OBSERVED THE TRUCK THAT HAD BEEN STOPPED MOVE FORWARD. I CALLED OUT THIS TO THE CREW AND ASSUMED THAT THE TRUCK HAD ACCELERATED TO GO BEHIND THE ACFT. WITHIN ABOUT 1 MIN, RECEIVED A CALL FROM CABIN THAT A PAX HAD OBSERVED A TRUCK THAT APPEARED TO STRIKE THE 'L' ENG. IMMEDIATELY STOPPED ACFT. ADVISED GND AND REQUESTED A VEHICLE TO OBSERVE IF ANY DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT ON ENG #1. ADVISED THAT DAMAGE WAS VISIBLE. SHUT DOWN ENG AND CALLED MAINT. MAINT EXAMINED ENG AND WE TAXIED BACK TO TERMINAL AND WERE TOWED INTO GATE. INCIDENT PROBABLY CAUSED BY INEXPERIENCE OF GND VEHICLE DRIVER. HE DID NOT REALIZE THAT IN A 90 DEG TURN A B747-400 GOES 20 FT PAST THE CTRLINE BEFORE BEGINNING THE TURN. I WAS ADVISED THAT DRIVER ASSUMED ACFT WAS CONTINUING E ON TXWY B. HE PULLED FORWARD, STALLED ENG, RESTARTED AND PUT IN FORWARD INSTEAD OF REVERSE AND THEN STRUCK ENG. ENG COWLING BADLY DAMAGED. SVC VAN EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED (PROBABLY TOTALED). NO INJURIES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 487596: NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS WERE OBSERVED IN THE COCKPIT. (EICAS INDICATIONS.)

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.